Q&A with our food and nutrition experts

Published: 17 August 2022

We know nutrition can be confusing. Our experts answer your common food and nutrition questions with evidence-based advice.

It’s hard to know what to believe when everyone online appears to be a wellness expert. At the Heart Foundation, we use the latest evidence to inform our advice and key messages. We’re also realistic in what it takes to implement that advice and believe that all foods fit into a heart-healthy eating pattern. You just need more of some and less of others.

We’ve compiled answers to eight common questions covering a wide range of topics. If there’s anything we haven’t covered feel free to ask your questions here.

Question: Does fruit contain too much sugar?

Answer:

Fruit contains natural sugars, but fruit also contains other important nutrients, fibre, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals such as potassium which help to keep our body and heart healthy.  You are more likely to eat too much sugar from fruit juice, soft drinks, biscuits, cakes and lollies. These foods also do not give us the same nutrients that fruit does.  So, keeping to a couple of pieces of fruit each day will not give you too much sugar in your diet. Spend the time enjoying your favourite fruit instead of getting hung up about the sugar content.

Learn more about the truth about sugar.

Question: Which milk should I be drinking for heart health?

Answer: 

Cow’s milk provides us with nutrients like calcium, zinc, and -B vitamins, as well as being a source of protein.

If you are trying to maximise your heart health, look at your overall diet to ensure you have plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains while reducing saturated fat. If you tend to drink a lot of cow’s milk, you can reduce your intake of saturated fat by switching to a lower fat milk option like lite blue, yellow-top or green-top. Plant-based milk like soy or almond milk can be a good option too if you can't tolerate dairy, or for your personal preference. When choosing plant-based milk, choose one that is ‘unsweetened’ and look for one that has calcium added.

Question: What are the best foods to snack on?

Answer:

There is no ‘one snack fits all’! The best foods to snack on are foods that are nourishing and that you enjoy. I look for snacks that include a variety of food groups. For example, instead of just having crackers, you could add some cheese, veggies, and hummus so it is more of a ‘mini meal’.

Answer:

It’s always a good idea to have snacks on hand that travel well and don’t need any prep, especially for the days when you are time-poor. On workdays, my go-to snacks are nuts, a boiled egg, a piece or two of fruit, carrots, cherry tomatoes, celery stalks or a cucumber. There’s no need to chop or peel vegetables if you’re short of time. Just wash and enjoy!

Question: Is the Mediterranean diet the best way to eat for heart health?

Answer:

The Mediterranean diet is inspired by the people who live near the Mediterranean Sea and it ticks all the boxes for a heart-healthy eating pattern. The diet helps to reduce your blood pressure and cholesterol by being higher in plant foods such as fruit and vegetables, whole grains and heart-healthy fats like olive oil while being lower in meat and highly processed foods.

It’s hard to give the Mediterranean diet the gold medal for the best or only way to eat for heart health as there are many other dietary patterns from around the world that are heart-healthy as well.

Find out more about the Mediterranean Diet and how other diets may benefit your heart health.

Question: How can I get my kids to eat more veges?

Answer:

Get children involved, from the farm through to the table! Have them lend a hand growing from seeds, harvesting, chopping and cooking. Ask for their input: “what vegetables should we add to the pasta” or “what should we make with all these carrots?”. One last tip – don’t hide vegetables! Children need to trust food, so be transparent about what has been added to meals. 

Answer: 

Did you know that children learn food choices from you? The best way to encourage your children to eat more vegetables is by eating them and enjoying them yourself.

When you’re out shopping, talk to your child about the different colours and types of vegetables available in the store and ask them to choose what they would like to try. 

Question: How can I make my meals satisfying – I always feel hungry?

Answer:

If you’re not feeling satisfied after a meal then it’s a good idea to consider, not only what you’re eating, but where you are eating. If you are distracted while eating, you may not realise how much you’ve eaten and are not conscious of the messages between your stomach and brain (it takes 20 minutes for your stomach to tell your brain it's full!). This can leave you feeling unsatisfied with your meal. Another reason you may feel hungry after food is if you haven’t provided your body with balanced kai that gives energy, nutrients and fibre. Make sure to include protein, vegetables and whole grains in your meal to help get you through to your next meal.

Question: I have high cholesterol, what should I eat to lower it?

Answer:

There isn’t a single food that will help to lower your cholesterol. Focus on your overall diet and include plenty of plant foods like vegetables, fruit, legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds. It’s important to still enjoy your favourite foods, but if they’re high in saturated fat (like takeaways, bacon and other fatty meats, coconut oil, cream) it’s a good idea to have them less often or to look for some heart-healthy swaps to foods high in heart-healthy fats.

Here are 7 foods that lower cholesterol.

Question: How can I eat a more sustainable diet?

Answer:

One thing we can all do to eat more sustainably is to reduce our food waste. Every piece of food you throw in the bin has been through several processes to get to you. So, make the most of the effort that has gone into producing your food and try to only purchase what you need and store food in a way which maintains its shelf life. We tend to throw out a lot of bread, so it’s a good idea to get into the habit of keeping your bread in the fridge or freezer to stop it from going stale.

The Love Food Hate Waste website has loads of good tips to help you reduce your food waste.